Minoans (3000 B.C.E.) to the Rise of Democracy (488 B.C.E)

Bronze Age and Early Minoan Civilization

3000 BCE

The earliest artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age of early Minoan civilization were from burial "tholos" tombs. These circular, free-standing stone tombs had domed ceilings, tunnel-like entrances leading into rooms with items from the burial ceremony and human remains. In the tombs, there were offering tables, conical cups, jugs, pithoi, sheep-bell idols, and gold objects. These tombs were also considered to be sacred places where rituals to ancestors or to the gods were performed.

Minoan Culture

2600 BCE

Minoans, as we know them, is due to Sir Arthur Evans, who in the late 1800's searched for the kingdom of King Minos and discovered the site of Knossos. He began the excavation in 1900, but much of what he reconstructed is now, believed to be inaccurate. However, the Minoans were advanced and flourished in many areas such as having running water, indoor toilets, drainage systems, the Linear A language, glazed window panes, mosaics, pottery with flora, fauna, and nautical motifs, and figurines.

1st Palatial Period (2000-1700 BCE)

2000 BCE

Palaces were located in Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakro, and Gournia. They all had the same floor plan with a centralized courtyard, large area for the ruling family, and storage rooms for food distribution. The distribution center of the palace was uniquely Minoan with locals bringing their food surplus (wheat, wine, grapes, olives, barley, etc.) to be kept in storage rooms in large vessels. In turn, they were given a receipt to receive goods back, either their own or an equivalent value.

Earthquake on Crete

1700 BCE

A major earthquake destroyed most, if not all of the palaces, however, they were rebuilt and the culture continued.
The palace at Knossos was larger than the others and is thought to have housed the main ruling family in Crete with other members occupying the other palaces. The Knossos palace had three floors and was light, airy, open to the warm climate, connected with nature, and not fortified.
Note: By 1700 BCE, the people we know as the Greeks are in their ancestral form on the mainland.

Minoans as a Sea Power

1600 BCE

King Minos created a navy and Minoan Crete became a thriving maritime power. The pinnacle of this sea empire was 1700-1450 BCE. Minoans traveled to Egypt, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia due to the Kamares ware found in these areas.
*Kamares ware is a distinctive Minoan pottery made on the potter's wheel, which was very fragile and eggshell thin. This pottery style was created from around 2100 to possibly,1550 BCE and is characterized by contrasting black slip with orange, white, or red designs.

Mycenaeans Destroy the Island

1450 BCE

Minoans are thought to have been a peaceful people who were not afraid of internal attacks or uprisings and possibly a matriarchal society. As an island nation, they may not have considered an invasion by sea due to their own maritime power because there is no evidence of fortification on Crete. This may have been their downfall. In 1450 -1400 BCE, an invasion by the Mycenaeans destroy the Minoan culture and replace it with new pottery, burial graves, weaponry, and the Linear B language.

Uluburun Shipwreck

1300 BCE

In 1984, George Bass, an excavator and underwater archaeologist, spent 10 years examining and unearthing a shipwreck found off the coast of Turkey. No bodies were found but the cargo was from at least 7 different civilizations: Egyptian, Nubian, Cypriot, Palestinian, Italian, and Baltic. The goods were mostly new and unused with little Mycenaean material on board. There are 2 theories about who manned the ship but it seems the ship sank when it failed to navigate around a rocky cape at night.

Trojan War

1250 BCE

In the mid 1800's Heinrich Schliemann, the "father" of archaeology, traveled to mainland Greece, married a Greek girl, Sofia, who read and translated the Iliad. They excavated Mycenaean shaft graves and then wanted to search for Troy/the Trojan War. Schliemann met Calvert who invited him to his property at Hisarlik and with 400 workmen, they dug straight down through 9 cities. He excavated city 2 from the bottom, which was 1000 years too early but the evidence is believed to lie at city 6 or 7.

Mycenaean and Minoan Civilizations are Destroyed

1225 BCE

From 1225-1175 BCE, the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations are destroyed due to different causes. First, the sea peoples push through and take over many areas throughout the Mediterranean until they are defeated in Egypt by Ramses III (1185 BCE).
Next, earthquake and earthquake storms destroy many of the cities. Lastly, the Greeks were too dependent on overseas trade routes, overcommitted, and the routes were eventually cut, leaving squatters to take over until about 1100 BCE.

Greek Dark Ages

1100 BCE

From 1100-800 BCE, the Dark Ages begins. Many cities were abandoned, there was no massive construction taking place, and burial sites had no grave goods. The pottery was less elegant and decorative and there was no representational art or wall frescoes. The art and knowledge of writing was lost, particularly Linear A and B, so this is considered a period of illiteracy. The people of the time were able to farm and weave but the surviving historical documents do not mention an Aegean World.

Period of Migration

1100 BCE

As the Dark Ages began, there was a period of migration from 1100 - 735 BCE, where people wandered and moved to the most fertile places without creating any real, permanent settlements. There were tremendous changes occurring in the population because of this nomadic lifestyle. After this time of migration, there was a war between the Dorians and Ionians, as well as a colonization period with the Dorians, Ionians, Aetolians, and Peloponnese indigenous peoples as documented by Herodotus.

Greek Recovery

800 BCE

The Dark Ages and migration periods were followed by a time of recovery. Pottery returned and importing and communication with the Near East began again. Attica and Ubia flourish due to trade and international contacts. The Greeks began to colonize regions overseas in Phoenicia and east to Italy. Additionally, Greek writing began again with an alphabet borrowed from the Phoenicians, characterized by 22 letters. The order and shapes are the same and the language was very similar to Hebrew.

Olympic Tradition Began

776 BCE

The 1st Olympic games took place at Olympia in honor of Zeus. The games were every 4 years and lasted 2-3 days, but later extended to a week or more. The main events were foot races and wrestling, but horse and chariot races, boxing, and javelin throwing were added. All participants competed naked except for the full body armor race and women could not attend. The games were held under the protection of the gods, so wars, battles, attacks, and robberies were not allowed. They ended in 394 AD.

Greek Expansion

750 BCE

From 750-600 BCE, the Greeks engaged in highly organized settlement movements as cited by Herodotus and Plato. After consulting with the Oracle of Delphi, an aristocratic leader was sent to a specific place to excess citizens, expand trade, and find new natural resources. This new place could be taken over easily due to few natives. They would wipe out the local men and enslave the women or take them on as wives, creating a new colony that only traded with the mother city.

Sparta

735 BCE

In 735-715 BCE, the first Mycenaean War took place with the Spartans victorious starting the Helots' system. The Helots were the conquered Mycenaeans, other slaves, and peasants that the Spartans tried to control and keep from rebelling because they were the largest part of the population. Sparta was twice as powerful as its size, rigid, and militaristic. The Spartans earliest lawgiver was Lycurgus, who is credited as the founder of the constitution, military system, and all Sparta created.

Polis

700 BCE

After 800 BCE, the Greeks formed city-states called a polis; a city built around a citadel with a high point, an acropolis. Farms and the community of citizens lived In the surrounding areas. Early city-states were quite powerful with a ruling local king, but soon this led to oligarchy, small groups of men governing through assemblies. However about 700 BCE, an aristocrat seized power and ruled without authority. The most notable of these benevolent dictators was Cypselus of Corinth (710 BCE).

Government of Athens

680 BCE

Athens was ruled by a king and group of advisors, forming the 9 archons and over the next 200 years increased the participation of the male citizenry in public affairs. The first, the Basileus (king) presided over the council of Areopagus (aristocratic council) made up of 6 members, who sat in session over murder proceedings and were elected annually. There was also an Eponymous Archon, who gave his name to the year he was in office, a military commander, council of 400, and general assembly.

Cylon of Athens Coup Attempt

632 BCE

Cylon, an Olympic victor whose father-in-law was the tyrant of Megara, encouraged him to overthrow the Athenian government. After seeing the Oracle of Delphi, Cylon was told to get supporters and seize power during the Festival of Zeus. He took over the Acropolis but the people opposed him and he and his men surrendered under an agreement that they could leave Athens unharmed. However, the people of Athens broke the vow and murdered them, but Cylon and his brother were able to escape.

Draco, the Lawgiver

621 BCE

Draco, known as Athens' 1st lawgiver, produced a series of written laws for certain crimes. However, the penalties were severe whether it was a small or large infraction and punishable by death since he did not know of any other consequences. His penalties were so severe that later people said his laws were written in blood rather than ink and we now consider certain severe penalties to be "Draconian". He did however, consider premeditated murder and involuntary manslaughter to be different.

Poetry: Highlight on Sappho

612 BCE

She was one of Greece's best known poets and one of the first female poets. She lived on the island of Lesbos and was in charge of a girls' school. It was rumored she was attracted to women and her poems were directed towards her students. They were about love, yearning, affection, and were accompanied by a lyre at times. She composed her own music and refined the lyric meter, now the sapphic meter. One of her works referenced the Trojan War and she wrote, "she who loves best is the loveliest."

Solon and His Reforms

594 BCE

Solon was an Archon and is considered one of the 7 wise men of antiquity. Between 594-574 BCE, the Athenian lawgiver initiated many reforms to help Athens, which was deteriorating. He gave citizenry to immigrant craftsmen, reformed the constitution, created 4 classes based on wealth, introduced coinage, and created a more humane code of justice except for homicide. These reforms were in place for 10 years with the stipulation that the people of Athens consult him before any changes were made.

Pisistratus Finally Becomes Tyrant of Athens

546 BCE

After two failed attempts to seize power, Pisistratus won a military victory and gained control of Athens. He was a benevolent ruler who added a third party to the political system: the Hills (Coast and Plains). He also created good relations with other poleis, formed settlements, improved water supply via aqueduct, profited from the silver mines, and kept Solon's constitution/reforms in place. Athens flourished with him as ruler for 35 years but his sons gained power upon his death in 528 BCE.

Hippias and Hipparchus Continue the Tyranny

528 BCE

After their father's death, Hippias and Hipparchus continued as tyrants of Athens. They were not skilled in the political arena and their policies were not well received. Their downfall began when Hipparchus was attracted to Harmodius, whose partner, Aristogeidon, became angry and feared Harmodius would be forced into a relationship. The two plotted to murder the tyrants, but the plan went awry. Hipparchus and Harmodius were killed and Hippias escaped continuing as ruler until 510 BCE.

Cleisthenes

508 BCE

His reforms picked up where Solon left off. He reorganized the Athenian societal structure based on where people lived, forming the deme. He also created the trittys (1/3) of demes, so there were 10 trittys per region, 3 regions made 30 trittys, which formed a tribe. He worked with 1 representative from each region to resolve differences. He added to Solon's council of 400, making it a council of 500 with 50 members from each tribe. He made the government more democratic involving everyone.

The Unintentional Creation of Democracy

488 BCE

Cleisthenes added the practice of ostracism to exercise control over people within the government, preventing any 1 person from yielding too much power. He prompted isegoria, equality for everyone to speak in the assembly. He created an allotment device which assigned people to juries or committees. In the courts, people had timed speeches using a water jug device and the supreme court was composed of ex-archons. He also created the 1 man, 1 vote principle and term limits for the council of 500.